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Monday, September 23, 2013

I am very familiar with the EUMC working definition of antisemitism.I have defended it on
several occasions.This is not to say it
is perfect, or that I could not give or take the odd clause. But I was extremely
concerned by the way it was ditched by the UCU – by the terms used to dismiss
it and the tone of the discussion around the issue.

So it was with interest that I read a new working definition, this time
of anti-Muslim prejudice. Although
Islamophobia is often casually used as a synonym for anti-Muslim bigotry, the
term is somewhat controversial, and Tell MAMA has (as is its usual practice)
gone for ‘anti-Muslim prejudice’ instead, reflecting its remit to monitor cases
where Muslims face violence, abuse or discrimination.

There is clear evidence of a direct debt to the EUMC working definition
of antisemitism. Compare these two passages, for example:

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

I have been a very occasional contributor to the website Contested Terrain, which addressed antisemitism and other reactionary forms of thought in the anti-capitalist and anti-globalisation movement, from an emancipatory perspective. Its domain has lapsed and so it is currently residing in the where are they now file - hopefully temporarily. You can see it still at the wonderful archive.org, but I am going to re-post some things from it here. In this re-post, I will focus on the Occupy movement, whose second birthday it is right now.